


🍁 midautumn nights dream

by slytherinkenma



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Closeted Ryan Kinkade, Drunk Allura (Voltron), F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Klance Forever Autumn Special, M/M, Mutual Pining, Trans Romelle (Voltron), idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-12 23:50:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21484876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherinkenma/pseuds/slytherinkenma
Summary: Keith like-likes Lance but thinks Lance is dating Romelle.Lance like-likes Keith but thinks Keith is dating Hunk.Allura runs from her feelings for Romelle.Ryan pulls Hunk back into the closet with him.Chaos ensues.
Relationships: Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Hunk/Ryan Kinkade, Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 105





	🍁 midautumn nights dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ImAWreck1999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImAWreck1999/gifts).

> My contribution to Ambi's Klance Forever Autumn Special 
> 
> For Jess.
> 
> Prompt: study dates
> 
> A Klance AU of the kiss between Chandler and Kathy in Season 4 Episode 6 of 'Friends'

“Me? Cheating? Less likely than you think”, Lance said before he took another bite of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.

“Yeah, sure”, Pidge scoffed.

“No, really! Cheating at tests is super dumb! I mean, who’s to say that the person sitting next to me has the correct answers? It’s just not worth the risk.”

“Alright, alright”, Allura chimed in. “If Lance says he’s never cheated then he’s never cheated and doesn’t have to drink.”

They all sat in Hunk’s living room and enjoyed their Saturday night on his huge couch while drowning in soft blankets as the scent of another batch of cookies, slowly simmering in the oven, wafted in from the kitchen.

“Okay, my turn!” Allura announced. “Never have I ever... received a love bite.”

“What’s a love bite?”, Lance asked through a mouthful of cookies. “Is that, like, a vampire kink thing?”

“I think it’s the British word for hickey”, Pidge supplied.

“Ohhhh. Well in that case”, Lance said before he took a gratuitous sip of his drink.

“Oh shut up”, Pidge said with a laugh. “No one ever gave you a hickey!”

“You don’t know my life, Pidge! Also, I can prove it this time. Allura saw me with hickeys before. Allura, tell them!”, Lance turned to his roommate.

“Sorry, Lance. But I don’t know what you’re talking about”, she said as she picked up her own cup.

“Wow. The betrayal of it all”, Lance said while shaking his head melodramatically. “Hunk! You saw me with the hickeys I had last year! You even bought me a turtleneck sweater because my mom came over that weekend. Remember?”

“Sorry, loverboy. But I don’t recall such a thing.”

“Okay, rude! Why do y’all always gang up on me??”

“It’s okay, Lance. I believe you”, Keith said reassuringly.

It had been quite a while since their rivalry had slowly transitioned into a friendship. But after spending so much time bickering with each other, teasing had just become the natural way of Keith and Lance communicating. However, in moments like these when all the others joked on Lance’s expense, he could count on Keith to have his back.

Lance liked those moments. He knew that Keith’s sincere and soft smiles were not to be taken for granted. And if they gave him a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest - then that was nobody’s business, now was it?

“See? And that’s exactly why I have one friend and one friend only and his name is Keith”, Lance said to the others as they laughed.

“Okay okay, no need to break up with us, Lance”, Pidge said with a grin. “Talking about turtlenecks though: Hunk, is that sweater new?”

Come to think of it, Lance had never seen his best friend in a turtleneck sweater before. And he knew why.

“Didn’t you say that you hate wearing turtleneck sweaters? Because they make it hard to breathe?”, Lance asked.

“Oh, Hunk!” Allura said with a worried tone. “While you look lovely, you don’t have to be uncomfortable just because you have us over as guests. You should wear something that you feel good in.”

“Oh no, it’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“Are you sure? Because Lance is right, you did say that you feel like they choke you”, Pidge said with a glint in her eyes.

“No, really. It’s not a problem”, Hunk tried to assure them nonchalantly. But that only raised suspicion in Lance, Allura and Pidge.

“Hunk. Tsuyoshi. Garrett”, Pidge smirked. Even Lance was scared by their facial expression. “Are you trying to hide hickeys from us?”

“W-what? Me? Who would g-give me a hickey? Don’t be silly, Pidge”, Hunk sputtered as his face turned crimson red in 0.2 seconds. _'That must be a new record'_, Lance thought.

“Well, in that case, show us your neck”, Pidge said.

“Come on, that’s ridiculous”, Hunk replied.

“Yeah, Pidge, lay off”, Lance intercepted. He was curious but not to a point where he’d want his best friend to be pushed out of his comfort zone. But Pidge wasn’t having any of that. Soon, they changed their tactic.

“Well, we don’t have to see them. We already know they’re there. And there’s a far more important question to be answered”, they said excitedly as they looked at everyone. They were having way too much fun as they let their prolonged dramatic pause build up tension. “Because, to refer back to Hunk’s earlier question, I think that there are plenty of people who’d like to give him a hickey. But: Who got to actually give him one?”

Thus, a new round of persistent questioning started. Pidge started to list off people and Hunk was visibly uncomfortable. Lance felt a lot of sympathy for his best friend. He really did. But much like Allura, he started to become more curious then considerate by the (with-questions-riddled) second.

“I did.”

Lance was the only one who turned his attention to the voice the first time it was uttered. Until it was repeated louder.

“I did.”

“Huh?”, Pidge replied with only half their attention on the person who had spoken up.

“I gave Hunk a hickey.”

That statement was sure to receive everyone’s undivided attention as they all turned to Keith.

————

Keith tried to school his expression into a neutral one but wasn’t sure if he succeeded in doing so. All he knew was that none of his friends looked at him neutrally. Every second he expected Lance to laugh or Pidge to say ‘oh right’ in an unbelieving tone.

But it was Hunk who spoke up first.

“I-it’s true”, Hunk said and even though he slightly stumbled over his words, he looked determined. Determined to convince his friends, determined to stick to this story.

“Wait... what?” To Keith, Lance almost sounded... hurt. “No, Hunk would’ve told me about that.“

“I’m sorry, buddy. But... I...”, Hunk looked at Keith at a loss for words.

“But it all happened very recently and we didn’t want to tell you guys yet - in case it doesn’t work out”, Keith supplied hastily.

“‘In case it doesn’t work out’?? So, this is not only true but also something serious??”, Allura replied surprised.

_'Ah, fuck'_, Keith thought_. ‘Maybe it would have been better to pretend it was an one night stand?'_.

“Wait, is this why you’ve been so busy lately? Y’all have been on dates without telling us?? I mean, Allura and I already assumed that you were dating someone, Hunk, but Lance was convinced that that wasn’t the case and we sure as fuck didn’t think that it was Keith. We were still more correct than Lance, though”, Pidge rambled on.

Lance didn’t say anything. Which worried Keith. That had been a perfect opportunity for Lance to playfully tell Pidge to fuck off or to justify himself but Lance just looked back and forth between Keith and Hunk with a slight frown on his face.

“Either way!” Allura said while shooting Pidge a chastising glare before turning to Keith and Hunk. “We’re very happy for you two! Right?”

“Yeah”, Lance said and Keith couldn’t help but feel like the smile, that he directed at the couple, maybe didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Congrats, guys.”

After they had closed the door when their friends had left, Hunk wrapped Keith in a huge hug and thanked him countless times. As they finished up cleaning the living room and kitchen, Hunk was reheating some leftovers from dinner. His eyes lit up when the doorbell rang.

Keith wiped down the counter as he heard the front door open and he tried to not hear the soft kissing sounds from the hallway after the front door closed.

A few minutes later they had settled into the living room. Keith tried to not linger too much when the two of them got together like this and to give them their privacy. But given the fact that he was Hunk’s only friend who knew about them, Keith knew that they appreciated the normalcy of him hanging out with them a little bit to catch up. But today was different.

“- so Keith told them that he gave me the hickeys.”

Next thing he knew, the huge figure had enveloped Keith and yet again he was wrapped in a big hug. This time by none other than Hunk’s boyfriend. Hunk’s secret boyfriend. Ryan Kinkade.

“Thank you, Keith. I’m sorry that…. I’m sorry”, Ryan said and he didn’t need to finish his sentence for Keith to know what he was apologising for but also that he really didn't need to. See, Ryan was deep in the closet. Very deep. So deep that he was basically the crown prince of Narnia.

“It’s alright, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, babe, we will sort this out.”

“I just… I’m sorry. I love you, Hunk.”

“I love you, too. But maybe this is good. Apparently, Pidge and the others had already started to get suspicious of me being busier than usual lately and already considered the possibility that I am dating someone.”

“Well, Pidge and Allura considered that a possibility”, Keith added.

“So, Lance didn’t?”

“No, they said he was sure that that wasn’t what’s happening. And he did look kinda shocked.”

“He’s your best friend”, Ryan said. “I’m sorry that you had to lie to him. And that we didn’t tell them yet.”

“I think it’s time for you to stop apologising and for me to bid my farewells and head to bed”, Keith said as he got up from the couch. “I know it isn’t really my business but if you need time then you need time, Ryan. And if Hunk is willing to wait then there’s no need to keep feeling bad about this.”

The star-crossed lovers got up off the couch and hugged him at the same time. Ryan wasn’t the most talkative person Keith had ever met. No, that price definitely went to Pidge and he loved them for it. But Ryan let his actions speak instead and he was as good a hugger as his boyfriend. If you add the hugs he got as a greeting and as a goodbye from Allura & Co. earlier in the evening, Keith had received a lot of affectionate touches that day. And he couldn’t say that he minded one bit.

————

Lance knew that he liked Keith. He had known for a while now. He had tried to ignore it because... well why exactly was that? Lance wasn’t sure anymore. Maybe because he felt insecure and was afraid of rejection. Maybe because he didn’t want to lose Keith in case he was weirded out by Lance's feelings. Whatever it was, now that Keith was in a relationship? Lance felt like an idiot. Of course, Keith wouldn’t stay single for long, he was amazing! But Lance knew that it wasn’t fair of him to feel sad now. He had had his chance and he didn’t take it and Keith deserved to be happy.

Plus, he was dating Hunk. Lance’s best friend in the world. He had known Pidge and Keith for a year and they’ve become good friends lately. He had been Allura’s roommate for two years now and they were close. But Hunk? Hunk was his best friend since third grade and if he was happy, Lance was happy. Was it a weird feeling to find out this way that Hunk had been in a relationship for a while? Yes. Did it hurt? Admittedly, a little. But maybe that meant that this relationship meant a lot to Hunk and that he didn’t want to mess it up.

_‘Why would it mess it up if he told his best friend about it?’_, an unhelpful little voice supplied at the back of his mind but he chose to ignore it as he prepared some tea. Hunk and Keith would arrive any minute for their study session.

“Anyway, I will see you tonight”, a voice as sweet as cotton candy said. Allura stood at the door with the blonde girl that had been visiting their flat frequently for weeks now. “Bye, Lance!”

“Bye, Romelle”, Lance said through a mouthful of chocolate. He really had to stop talking while eating but - oh well.

A few moments later, he heard the front door close and Allura wandered into the kitchen.

“She’s nice”, he said as he handed her a mug filled with hot strawberry-flavoured tea.

“You say that every time she leaves”, Allura replied. She sounded… resigned? Lance just shrugged his shoulders in response. “Her being nice is not the problem.”

Oh?

“I didn’t know that there’s a problem”, he said carefully. They hadn't been together for long and hadn't made their relationship public yet but they seemed happy.

“I…” Allura looked into her mug as if the dark red depths would give her answers she was apparently searching for. She sighed. Lance wanted to ask her to sit down on the couch with him to work it out - whatever it was – when the doorbell rang and his own romance problems literally knocked on the door.

_‘WAIT. Romance problems???’_, Lance thought as he put his mug on the kitchen counter and went to the front door._‘I don’t have romance problems. I don’t even have romantic feelings for anyone. Do I like-like Keith? Yes. Do I have rOmaNtiC fEeLinGs for him? Hell no-‘, _was the last thing he could think before he swung open the front door and was greeted by the couple that had been occupying his mind for days now. He was greeted by a waving Hunk and a smiling Keith. Keith whose nose and cheeks were coloured red from the harsh November winds outside and whose hair was slightly dishevelled. Keith whose smile was partially hidden behind a huge soft scarf and whose eyes were bright and warm and beautiful. Keith who was literally the love of Lance’s young life._ ‘Ah, fuck.’_

————

Her phone was turned off. Lance stood in his hallway a few minutes after Hunk and Keith had left. Romelle had appeared shortly after to pick up Allura. But there was no trace of his friend. He hadn’t even heard her leave. Possibly because he was too focused on his study session with his best friend and his crush. Who were boyfriends. Not that Lance had a problem with that- OKAY he was getting carried away again. This is exactly why he had struggled enough with trying to concentrate on their school work and did in fact not assume that he had to also keep an eye on Allura.

Now that he thought about it, she did seem weird when they had had tea before Lance’s study session started. Shit, he had intended to talk to her but had not realised that whatever it was had been so grand that it would cause her to leave the flat - and stand up Romelle.

Romelle, who was wearing a baby blue dress and matching nail polish and a gray coat, which wasn’t her everyday coat that she had been wearing a few hours prior. Romelle, who so obviously had gone home and made an effort to look nice for her movie date with Allura. Allura, who had left without a note or a text message to either of them. 

“It’s okay, Lance”, Romelle said. She didn’t look like it was okay, though. “She probably just forgot. Or maybe just didn’t want-“

“No! If Allura didn’t want to go out tonight she would’ve said so. I’m sure she’s just being held up somewhere.”

Slowly, Lance was getting concerned. Allura was never late. Never.

In that moment, his phone notified him of a message on Instagram. It was from Pidge. He wanted to swipe it away but then he caught sight of Allura’s name. He clicked on the message and sure enough, Pidge had messaged him ‘Why didn’t Allura or you tell me y’all were partying tonight?’.

The message accompanied a video. From Ezor’s story. She was a friend of Allura, who Lance shared a few classes with at uni. In her story, Allura was dancing with Acxa at a party somewhere.

Lance called his sister.

“Hey, Laaaaancey. How’s my baaaaby brother doing?”, said someone who’s definitely not his sister before a commotion stirred up on the other end of the line. “_Ezor, come on… I… Noooo… Ronnie, you’re no fun… Ezor! …_ Lance? Hey, everything alright?”

“Hey! Yea, but… Is Allura with you?” Lance didn’t know why he asked. It was obvious that Ezor was with Veronica and Allura was with Ezor.

“Yeah, you wanna talk to her- wait, actually she uh just went to the toilet but I’m sure she’ll call you later.”

_“She doesn’t want to talk to me, right_?”, Lance asked in Spanish.

“_Is she mad at you_?”

“_I don’t think so. I was just worried where she is…_ just make sure that she returns safely to our flat, please? Or wherever she wants to stay the night.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks, you’re the best. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

As Lance said goodbye and ended the phone call, Romelle put her scarf back on and turned to the door to leave.

“Wait-”

“It’s okay, Lance. She obviously has better plans for tonight and I’m sure you do, too. So I’m just gonna head home.”

“Listen… I don’t know whether she forgot or-“

“No, I think… I don’t know what I think… but its okay."

“Is someone waiting for you at home?”

“Hm? Um, my roommate will be home later tonight. She’s out right now.”

So, she’d go home into an empty flat? On a Friday evening? Possibly cry her eyes out? Not on Lance’s watch! At least not if that wasn’t what she wanted to do.

“I’m free tonight!”, he said before he could overthink it. Because honestly, what was there to overthink? “I mean you made reservations right? I haven’t watched that movie yet and I’m free, so…”

“You don’t have to...”

“I know. And you don’t have to agree. But the offer still stands. We’re friends too, aren’t we? And if a friend of mine is upset then I cannot not offer my friendship services. And this would be a welcome distraction. And we could have so much fun! We can use the tickets you booked and get tons of popcorn and then do something super un-date like. Like… go through the McDonalds Drive-through. Get as much greasy food as we can.”

“That does sound fun”, Romelle smiled hesitantly.

“We can also stay home if you don’t wanna go out”, Lance said tentatively. He didn’t want to push her out of her comfort zone.

“No, you’re right. Moping around at home would be such a waste of a perfectly nice Friday. And I already ordered the movie tickets, so. Let’s do this!”

“That’s the spirit!”, Lance laughed as he reached for his coat.

————

Keith stood in line at the concession stand with Ryan when he saw them. Lance. And the blonde girl he had already seen twice today. She had opened the front door of the apartment complex, that Lance and Allura lived in, when Keith and Hunk had arrived that afternoon. That’s why they didn’t have to ring the doorbell until they arrived upstairs. Later on, when they left, they had passed her in the stairwell. Actually, Keith had seen her quite often these past few weeks.

And there she was. Standing beside Lance. Holding out the straw of one of the drinks towards him. Giggling as he took a sip while his hands were occupied with holding a huge bucket of popcorn. Keith turned away before they saw him. Soon after, Hunk returned from the restroom, they ordered snacks and headed to their cinema hall. In the opposite direction of the one Lance sat in. Lance. And the beautiful girl he was here with.

————

“So I said ‘well, do you think his parents named him after the game show Takashi’s Castle?’”, Lance said as he drowned a fry in sweet&sour sauce.

“Oh my god!! I love that show!! What did he reply?”, she laughed.

“Me too!! Suddenly, he didn’t care about the fact that it was 3am. He was like '...okay hold up’.”

“How did you even know that ‘Shiro’ means ‘Castle’ in Japanese?”, Romelle laughed. 

“Oh, the first time Shiro met his boyfriend Curtis, he was so struck by Shiro’s beauty that he just blurted out that fun fact.”

Romelle laughed.

“You really like this Keith kid, huh?”

Lance tried to stay as cool and collected as possible. He did choke a little on the Chicken Nugget he was taking a bite from. But just a little bit. He was still very smooth.

“Hm? Yeah, he’s a cool dude… why do you ask?”, he wheezed.

“Well, you know a lot about him. And his adoptive brother. And his adoptive brother’s boyfriend. And whenever you talk about him, you start smiling. And are you blushing-“

“Okay! Yes, very convincing arguments all around!”

“When you suggested we go out tonight, you said that this would be ‘a welcome distraction’. A distraction from Keith, maybe?”, she asked. Lance couldn’t detect any teasing in her voice though. Just genuine interest.

“You are pretty good at reading people, do you know that?”

Romelle laughed as they collected their trash. They got up and put away their trays.

As they wordlessly stepped outside into the cold November night and made their way to Romelle’s car, Lance pulled his coat tighter around himself. They had decided against the Drive Through last minute and went inside instead. Given that Romelle had already prepaid the movie tickets, Lance had insisted on paying for their greasy dinner. After Romelle had steered the car off the parking lot, Lance cleared his throat.

“This was indeed a welcome distraction from Keith.”

Romelle waited patiently.

“I like him... I like-like him.”

“Does he know that you’re-“

“Bi? Yeah, he does. But it doesn’t matter. None of it matters. He’s… he’s taken”, Lance said and waited for the inevitable reaction. A gasp, a chastising look. What he didn’t expect was for Romelle to keep listening to him. Patiently waiting for him to continue.

“This is the part where you call me out on being an asshole”, he supplies.

“What? Why?”

“Why? Because I like a guy who’s in a relationship??”

“Are you planning on having an affair with him?”

“What? No!”

“Did you actively decide on having a crush on someone who’s taken?”

“Well, no. Also, he was single when I started liking him. I only found out recently that he’s dating someone.”

“Then I don’t see why I should view you negatively now? You can’t help your feelings. And you’re obviously feeling guilty about the whole thing. And you’re not intending to actively break them up so…”, she shrugged.

“You don’t know the whole story though... his boyfriend... it’s Hunk.”

“Hunk? Best friends since third grade Hunk? Who I saw today?”

“The one and only.”

“Big oof.”

“Big oof indeed.”

“Well, what if you tried talking it out with them?”

“What? And make everything awkward? Uh, yeah, no thanks.”

“I get that. Either way, don’t beat yourself up too much over this, yeah?”

“I’ll try. Thanks for the nice evening. I had a lot of fun.”

“No. Thank you, Lance. And I’m sorry for kinda putting all of this on you. With Allura and me.”

“Well, I put my mindfuck with Keith and me on you, didn’t I? So, I guess we’re even now”, Lance said with a laugh. “And I’ll talk to Allura. You’re a kind and beautiful woman and Allura is happy to have you and whatever today was about, she at least owes you an explanation.”

“No, please don’t do that. She doesn’t owe me anything. And she doesn’t have to explain herself. Maybe she’s just not feeling it. Or maybe its just too much. With her being a lesbian and me being…”

“Romelle, NO. You shouldn’t even think that. Allura isn’t like that. And remember she asked YOU out. Whatever is on Allura's mind, I can assure you it's not that. Everything will be fine, I know it."

“Thanks, Lance. I hope so, too”, Romelle said as she came to a halt in front of Lance’s apartment complex. “We should do this again some time.”

“Definitely!”, Lance said as he unbuckled. “Take care and text me when you get home safely, yeah?.”

“I will”, Romelle agreed. They hugged and Lance got out of her car. She didn’t drive off until he reached the entrance of the building. Lance smiled as he waved at her - in his hand, the key to the front door of his flat.

It’s 3am when Lance opens that very door again. To his sister and his sister’s girlfriend holding his rather tipsy roommate.

“Where’s Romelle?”, Allura slurred.

“At home”, Lance replied as he helped Acxa and Veronica to half-guide half-carry Allura into her room.

“I’m gonna call her”, she said as she fished her phone out of her bag.

“Nope”, Veronica simply said as she snatched the phone out of Allura’s hands.

“Hey!”

“You can apologise to her tomorrow”, Lance said as Allura half-pouted and half-glared at his sister before turning his attention to him.

“Was she very sad, Lance? Did she cry? Oh my god, she cried, right? She was looking forward to the movie so much. And now she missed it because of me”, Allura hiccupped as she threw her arm over her face as she laid down on her bed. Acxa left and soon after wordlessly returned with a bucket. Lance turned around and Veronica helped Allura into comfortable clothes.

“She didn’t miss the movie.”

“Huh?”

“She didn't miss it. I went with her.”

“You… What the fuck? What the fuck?? What gives, Lance? Why are you going on dates with MY girlfriend??” Lance turned back around when Veronica signalled him that she was finished and he was immediately able to look through Allura’s façade and see the sadness lurking underneath.

“Why don’t we talk about this tomorrow?”

“No, we’re talking about this now! You can’t just take away my girl!”

Lance looked from Veronica to Acxa but they didn’t know what to say either.

“Oh, for goodness sake. What am I saying. You’re not taking her away. I’m pushing her away. Why am I pushing her away, Acxa?”

In true Kogane fashion, Keith’s cousin was completely overwhelmed with that kind of question suddenly coming at her out of the blue.

“Uh… because… you love her?”, she guessed. As the McClain siblings threw incredulous looks at her, she shrugged with her shoulders and made a face.

“You… are absolutely right, oh my god. I love her. I love her so much. Did I tell y’all that I booked train tickets? To New York? For her birthday next month- Everything stopped being casual because I love her so naturally I am pushing her away now because I am an IDIOT.”

“No, you’re not Allura. You’ll talk things out with her tomorrow”, Veronica said as she stroked Allura’s hair. Acxa went into the kitchen to get some water for Allura and as Lance watched his sister comfort his roommate, he thought about Romelle and Keith and Hunk and Shakespeare’s Midsummernightsdream.

————

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry”, Lance said as he handed Allura a glass of water to drink her medicine with. She was pretty hungover. Lance wasn’t surprised.

“No, its not okay. I just… I don’t know.”

“You love her. And you’re afraid. So you push her away.”

“Oh my god. Did I say that yesterday?”

“More or less. You also told us about New York.”

“I... that was an impulse purchase”, she said with a wavering voice as her eyes started glistening in the light of the early afternoon. “And at first I was super happy about it. But the longer I thought about it, the more I realised how much she means to me and how serious this is getting and... and... what if she gets bored of me soon? What if it ends in a huge breakup?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s already ending in a huge breakup. Like right now”, Lance said carefully. “Listen, I know it’s hard to face your emotions and be honest to yourself and the person you love but... You’re not only hurting yourself here. You’re hurting her, too... she... she thinks you’re distancing yourself because she’s trans.”

“What?? No! It has nothing to do with that!!”, Allura replied shocked.

“I know, that’s what I told her, too. But I don’t know if she really believed me.”

“I need to go. I need to talk to her, right now.”

“What will you tell her?”

“The truth. She deserves the whole truth.”

Usually always well put-together and elegant, Allura grabbed her phone and keys, put on Lance’s raincoat and his running shoes and left in sweat pants and mismatched socks to confess her love as well as her insecurities to her unofficial girlfriend. She was still hungover and surely still afraid but she didn’t hesitate anymore. It was the most romantic thing Lance had ever witnessed. She smiled at him and her eyes seemed to shine bright with hope and determination. He wished her good luck and she was off.

————

They had cried. Both of them. Allura’s as well as Romelle’s eyes were red-rimmed and they both had dark circles under their eyes and neither wore makeup. Allura’s most recent Instagram story. The caption reading ‘I love my girlfriend’. They looked happy. Lance had to hold back happy tears of his own. In that moment, the elevator doors opened.

A few moments later, he knocked on the door. The front door of Hunk’s flat. His best friend Hunk, who lived with his roommate Keith. Keith, who Lance had a crush on. Keith who opened the door and looked like an angel. Well, fuck. Lance took a deep breath. He could do this.

They greeted each other, Keith let him in and Lance tried to not be a total creep. Not when Keith hugged him and not when their hands brushed when Keith handed him a glass of water and not when he sat beside him on the couch.

“Hunk is not here yet but he’ll be here any minute”, Keith said. Exactly in that moment, his phone started ringing. It was Hunk, who explained that he and Pidge were being held up at uni and that it’ll take a while for them to join their study session. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to start without them so I guess we can just hang out until they’re back.”

“Yeah!”, Lance said while he tried to stay cool. “So... what did you do today?”

“I... had an appointment to get my hair cut but then it got cancelled.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that you got your hair professionally cut, I thought you just let it grow and it naturally falls into that Uncle Jesse look”, Lance quipped and immediately cringed.

_‘Uncle Jesse?? He’s the hottest Full House character, what the fuck, Lance, just confess directly, why don’t you??’_

“Well, I do and I like it like this. But everyone else seems to hate it so I thought… why not let it be cut off. Probably less of a hassle to take care of, too, so.”

“Hold up, you wanted to get rid of your mullet today?? Why??”

“Like I said. People hate it. Less of a hassle. You literally just called it a mullet.”

“Lovingly!!”

“You call my hairstyle a mullet - ‘lovingly’”, Keith replied unimpressed and it was more of a statement then a proper question. Either way, Lance felt embarrassed and just wanted to shut up forever but somehow that memo didn’t seem to have reached his mouth.

“Well, I can cut it”, Lance said while the inside of his brain looked like Spongebob’s in the episode where he became a fancy waiter and all his miniature selfs completely lost control and ran around screaming.

“Okay... sure.”

“Great!”

Not great.

————

That’s how Keith found himself sitting on a chair in his living room half an hour later with a towel around his shoulders and Lance’s hands in his hair.

“I’m basically done here”, Lance said as he put the scissors away. Keith touched his hair. His hair that wasn’t much shorter than it was when he sat down.

“You didn’t cut off a lot. I mean, doesn’t this technically still count as a mullet?”

“Well, it’s a good nickname. Also... if someone can pull this look off its you”, Lance said before clearing his throat. “Also, you would probably look super weird with short hair. It took us long enough to get used to knowing someone with a mullet, you know how hard it would be to get used to that same person with a normal haircut?? Exhibit A: Joe Keery. Do I even need an exhibit B?”

“Oh god no. Exhibit A is terrifying enough. Even though I wouldn’t really call his current haircut ‘normal’, so.” 

“My point still stands. Also, I did cut off a little bit to get the split ends and to give your hair the possibility to grow better and healthier. So you can grow it out as much as you want and it still looks great.” Lance’s soft voice and nice words and gentle hands carding through his hair, had Keith melting into the chair. A warm feeling spread in his gut and he took a deep breath. Before Lance’s voice startled him out of his peaceful moment.

“You know who also has great hair?? Hunk!!”

“Yes, yeah! Hunk has great hair!”, Keith agreed. That’s right. Hunk. His pretend boyfriend. Which was reason enough to pull himself together. Of course there was also the fact that Lance was taken. But Keith couldn’t just admit to having seen Lance with his girlfriend. Lance obviously didn’t want them to know yet.

_‘Which is fair. Hunk and I did the same thing’_, Keith thought.

_‘EXCEPT we are not really dating’_, he had to remind himself as he suppressed a groan. This was getting more confusing by the second.

Keith knew that he liked Lance. He had known for a while now. He had tried to ignore it and he knew exactly why. Overcoming that one-sided rivalry had been so difficult already. Keith didn’t want to do anything that could risk their delicate new friendship. Besides, Lance was shining so brightly. His social skills were impeccable. People liked him. They laughed at his jokes. They understood his jokes. Keith wasn’t like that. Except with his small number of friends.

And now that Lance was in a relationship? Keith knew that he had done the right thing. Of course, Lance wouldn’t stay single for long, he was incredible. And of course his significant other would shine just as brightly as him. Keith knew that there was no reason for him to feel sad now. He had had his chance and he willingly didn’t take it and Lance deserved to be happy.

“Let me just get this hair off your neck”, Lance said as he brushed aside Keith’s mullet and started gently blowing air over his neck. Keith almost died.

Then, Lance walked around the chair and sank to his knees in front of Keith. He carded his fingers through Keith’s hair and out of his face on both sides.

“What-whatcha doing?”, Keith asked as his heart stammered and stuttered worse than his voice.

“Checking to see if it’s even”, Lance laughed in reply.

“’kay.” Keith almost choked on the single syllable. Single like him. But Lance didn’t know that. And couldn’t know that. And he had a girlfriend and when did the room start spinning?

“Looks good”, Lance murmured. Keith got lost in his eyes. Was drowning in blue. Why was his brain choosing this moment to quote ‘Addicted To You’?

Lance leaned in. Keith leaned in.

Lance still caressed his hair softly. Keith’s heart still tried to leap out of his chest.

Keith leaned in. Lance leaned in.

Keith’s phone rang.

“Ah, it’s the phone! The phone’s making sounds!!”, Lance shouted nervously as they jumped up and apart. Keith quickly took out his phone.

“It’s Hunk!”

“Nice!”, Lance replied way too loud.

Hunk and Pidge were being held up even longer. They wouldn’t make it that day. They would have to reschedule.

Lance gathered his things as Keith was on the phone. He was putting on his shoes when Keith hung up.

“I should uh probably go.”

“Yes, yeah”, Keith answered.

_'No, please stay'_, he wanted to say instead.

And then Lance left. And Keith was alone in the flat. And outside, the sky had turned dark.

And there was a knock on the door.

Keith opened it and there he was. Lance.

“I forgot my keys.”

“Oh.”

They both leaned in at the same moment and next thing he knew Keith was kissing Lance. Lance was kissing Keith. They were kissing. Finally.

Keith closed the front door without breaking the kiss. It was Lance who broke it.

“I really did forget my keys”, he said breathlessly before he continued kissing Keith. Lance was kissing Keith. Keith was kissing Lance.

————

Again, it was Lance who broke the kiss.

“Oh no no no. This is bad, this is bad, this is bad”, he said as he went further into the flat and created physical distance between them. Otherwise, they would probably start kissing again.

“Horrible!”, Keith agreed.

“Wait, the uh kiss or the situation?”, Lance asked.

“No no no, the kiss was good”, Keith emphasised and Lance was relieved for a split second. “No, but that’s bad!!”

“Okay, here’s what we do: We forget it happened.”

“What??”

“Okay, we swallow our feelings even if it means we’re unhappy – forever. Sound good?”

“Can one really do that?”, Keith asked. And Lance understood his doubt. Lance was pretty sure that he would never forget that kiss. But-

“I have to. Hunk is my best friend and you’re dating him.”

“Lance... I... like Hunk but with you-“

“Oh no no no, see? You’re getting me confused! When you look at me like that and talk all soft, I want to kiss you again and again and again and we can’t because I love Hunk so-”

“How can you say that??”

“Huh?”

Keith hesitated. Until he just laid his cards open.

“I saw you. Yesterday. At the cinema with your girlfriend. So how can you say that you want to kiss me?? And-“

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold your jets, Keith. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Wh- but that blonde girl! I have seen her coming out of your apartment-“

Lance couldn’t help it. He laughed. And he grinned as he pulled out his phone and as he showed Keith Allura’s Instagram. As he showed him Allura’s most recent post in her story.

“You mean this girl? She’s Allura’s girlfriend. They’ve made it official today but have been seeing each other for weeks. That’s why you saw her in our building. And yesterday, I went to the cinema with Romelle, yes. But only as friends.”

“Why didn’t Allura…”

“-tell you guys? Well, I guess, for the same reasons you and Hunk didn’t tell us.”

This made Keith’s gaze snap away from Lance’s phone and directly up into Lance’s eyes.

“You know, we have to tell him, right?”, Lance said.

“What?”

“I know I said we have to swallow our feelings but that isn’t enough. We also have to come clean. Please, I cant keep any more secrets. Especially not from Hunk. And I know it’s gonna be hard for you when we tell Hunk but I promise it’s better than carrying-“

“It’s more complicated than that.”

Now it was Lance’s turn to say: “What?”

“My relationship with Hunk. It’s more complicated than that.” Keith took a deep breath. “We never dated."

"But... after you said you gave him hickeys-"

"I lied. See, Hunk has a boyfriend. That much is true. And it's his boyfriend who gave Hunk the hickeys. But that boyfriend isn’t me."

"Well, if it isn't you, who is it?"

Keith looked at him in a way that Lance couldn't decipher. He tried to focus on his words instead. Hunk had a boyfriend. But Keith won't tell him who it is. Or maybe he couldn't? But why? Any guy would be happy to have Hunk- oh. _Oh._

"He's still in the closet, isn't he."

Keith hesitantly nodded.

"So, you covered for them."

Keith nodded again.

"So... it's okay when we kiss?"

"Wait, you won't question it? What if I am lying?"

"Okay 1. You are a terrible liar. Which makes you pulling that dating lie off pretty impressive to be honest. 2. Hunk being a loving and supporting boyfriend no matter whether his significant other is out or closeted? Easy to believe. 3. You getting yourself right in the middle of that and then us two assuming that the other one is taken and choosing _that_ moment to finally make a move and then feeling super guilty about it even though we don't need to? Also easy to believe. And 4. I can't wait to kiss you without guilt eating away at me. You?"

Keith smiled as he nodded again. 

Keith kissed Lance and Lance kissed Keith and this time it felt a billion times better. Keith would have to apologise to Hunk for spilling his secret but he managed to not out Ryan specifically and that was such a relief.

Keith knew he liked Lance. Lance knew he liked Keith. Despite their insecurities they chose to choose each other.

As they would learn to love themselves a little bit more everyday, just like they would love their boyfriend a little bit more everyday, they would allow themselves to indulge in the peace they found in each other's loving embrace. Of course there would still be bickering and silly misunderstandings in their future - but laughter, too. As Keith kissed Lance and Lance kissed Keith, they were both looking forward to it. 

**Author's Note:**

> so apparently what i want to say with this is  
1\. hug your friends. be there for them. offer them a glass of water.  
2\. running away from intimacy and friendship never only hurts the person doing the running 🏃  
3\. trans romelle is valid af and acxa and ryan and keith are socially awkward and ‘action > words’ personified but damn it they are good friends and they will find the right words when necessary


End file.
